World Cup Craze
by like a falling star
Summary: Eriol, Syaoran and Yamazaki are getting all geared up for the World Cup. However, their girlfriends feel that they're second place to soccer-- and in an attempt to draw them away from soccer, prepare a little "fashion show" for their guys...
1. 1

Author's Notes: Ok, so… I admit, I'm not much of a soccer fan… though I have a Man Utd calendar on my room wall… but there has been this big hoo- hah over the world cup, so I'm writing a story dedicated to all the non- soccer-crazy girlfriends of huge soccer maniacs. Enjoy.  
  
World Cup Craze  
  
By like a falling star  
  
  
  
"Chips?"  
  
Yamazaki pulled out the six giant-sized packets of Lays from the grocery bag. "Check."  
  
"Drinks?"  
  
Syaoran cocked an eyebrow towards the table, on which bottles and bottles of soft drinks [they haven't reached the legal age for alcohol yet] stood, lined up according to colour and in alphabetical order. "Check."  
  
"Remote control?"  
  
Syaoran lifted it up for Eriol to see. "Check."  
  
"Banners?"  
  
Yamazaki unfurled a big black banner with bold, white letters that said 'GO _______!!!' while Syaoran unrolled another banner which was white with huge, dark blue letters. It said 'BOO!!!'  
  
"Check."  
  
[about ten minutes later…]  
  
"Soccer jerseys?"  
  
Yamazaki held up an assortment of red, white and blue [etc.] jerseys. "Check."  
  
Eriol looked up from his to-do check list, which was typed in small print. "All right, I think we're done. Anything else?"  
  
Yamazaki looked at Syaoran. Syaoran looked at Eriol. Eriol looked at Yamazaki.  
  
Simultaneously the three guys realised something amiss.  
  
"There's something else." Syaoran said, thinking deeply.  
  
"Yeah, there is, but I just can't put my finger on it." Eriol added.  
  
"It's something important." Yamazaki commented. "Something about a meeting."  
  
"Or something."  
  
"Or something." Syaoran agreed. "At the mall or something."  
  
"Like a triple date, if I'm not wrong." Eriol said, nodding solemnly.  
  
"Right." Yamazaki said. "I remember now."  
  
"The question is," Syaoran said slowly. "With who, though?"  
  
Suddenly, and at the same time, their eyes began to widen in fear at their fates if they failed to turn up. "Not-- how-- oops-- we're dead meat--"  
  
"THE GIRLS!!!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	2. 2

World Cup Craze  
  
By like a falling star  
  
  
  
"They're dead." Chiharu muttered darkly.  
  
"Toast. Finished." Tomoyo agreed, flexing her arm muscles dangerously.  
  
Sakura patted the pocket of her jean jacket, making sure that the Clow Cards were still intact. So that a little revenge could be taken later. "Burnt at the stake." She added.  
  
"If they show up at all," Tomoyo said, glancing at her wrist-watch for what seemed to be the hundredth time that afternoon.  
  
The three girls were seated around a round, intimate table-for-six at a cosy, classy café. Sitting, doing nothing. Sitting, waiting for their dates to show up. Normally, they were just three very typical, gossipy, giggly 16- year-olds girls, but now, they were three very grumpy, PMS-infected females. How convenient.  
  
"They're screwed." Chiharu crumpled her napkin into a little ball and dumped it into her glass of iced water.  
  
"They're late." Sakura stated simply, fingering the key on her necklace.  
  
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Syaoran and Yamazaki walked in, wearing the same harried expressions. Both were panting heavily, as if they'd just run in from a marathon. They took one look at the girls' faces and sank down heavily into their seats, looking defeated.  
  
"What have you got to say for yourselves?" Sakura demanded, rather unlike herself.  
  
Syaoran cowered under her stare. "Um-- sorry we're late."  
  
Chiharu clinked her fingernails against her glass. "Your point being?"  
  
Yamazaki looked sheepish. "We were taking care of some soccer stuff," he mumbled.  
  
Suddenly Eriol glided in, and plopped easily down in his seat.  
  
Tomoyo turned to him. "And you, mister? Your excuse is…?"  
  
Eriol grinned and handed her a bouquet of white roses. Tomoyo's all-time favourite flower. "For you, m'lady."  
  
Tomoyo's eyes softened as she took the flowers. Then she looked up at Eriol. "Nice try, Cassonova. Why are you late?"  
  
Eriol gave her a sheepish grin. "Cos I was looking for your favourite flowers?"  
  
Tomoyo rolled her eyes and waited.  
  
"We were a little caught up in some soccer… preparations, and we lost track of the time. I'm sorry, Tomo-chan."  
  
Syaoran, Yamazaki, Sakura and Chiharu winced at this pet-name-calling.  
  
Tomoyo smiled at Eriol. "An A+ for effort," she said. "You're forgiven." Then she leaned over and gave Eriol a lingering kiss.  
  
They parted, completely oblivious to the disgusted look of their friends.  
  
"Are you done?" Chiharu asked pointedly. "We'd like to continue our-- discussion, thank you very much."  
  
"Of course." Tomoyo smiled mildly. "Continue, please."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Would you mind turning it down a little?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Uh." The guys answered non-commitally, their eyes still glued to the set, watching every move in anticipation.  
  
"Hello!?!" Chiharu thundered, looking particularly murderous. "Are you listening!?!"  
  
"Hmm." Yamazaki said, nodding solemnly. His eyes traveled the path of the ball, unblinking. "Yeah."  
  
"They're hopeless." Chiharu said with a little sigh, dropping back onto the couch.  
  
"Is it always like that?" Tomoyo asked Nakuru.  
  
Nakuru rolled her eyes. "It gets worse." She said, nodding seriously. "Whenever someone scores a goal they--"  
  
Suddenly a roar was heard. "GOAL!!!" Eriol, Syaoran and Yamazaki leaped up from their seats on the sofa, identical grins on their faces, and unfurled one of the banners. They ran around the living room, waving it around madly before dropping it on the floor and doing a little victory dance.  
  
The girls watched, staring in shock at the spectacle. For a minute, no one said a word.  
  
"--go crazy." Nakuru finished.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	3. 3

World Cup Craze  
  
By like a falling star  
  
"No! No! Cross! Run to the other side!" Yamazaki shouted, gesturing madly at the television set which so happened to be sitting very mildly on the cabinet.  
  
The player in question ran a couple of metres, ball at his feet, before he stumbled and fell flat onto his face.  
  
Sakura gasped and her eyes widened. "Oh, poor boy. He fell!" Her eyes glued to the TV, she frowned. "Syao-kun, why didn't anyone help him up?"  
  
"Uh- that's just the way it goes, Sakura." Syaoran said uncomfortably. "Soccer is a. a very violent game. You shouldn't be watching this." He told her, concerned that his precious, ever-innocent Sakura-chan might be corrupted by such a sport.  
  
"I shouldn't?" Sakura looked confused, and winced as another player tripped, lapsing into an ungraceful somersault as he fell. "Oh."  
  
Eriol, Syaoran and Yamazaki watched in silent anticipation as a player deftly kicked the ball to another player, who was across the pitch. He caught the ball neatly with his foot and began running up towards the goal, expertly maneuvering it with his feet.  
  
Eriol, Syaoran and Yamazaki's eyes widened simultaneously. You could see the beads of sweat gathering in small pools on their foreheads, which were wrinkled in anxiety.  
  
On screen, the player lifted his leg and gave the ball a swift kick, sending it spiraling towards. the goalpost.  
  
There was a collective groan, both on screen and in the room.  
  
The ball hit the goalpost and bounced back. The goalie scrambled to grab it.  
  
"Man, that was so darn close!" Eriol exclaimed.  
  
Syaoran nodded, his eyes still following the little white speck of a ball on the screen. "If only McMillan [Author: erm. I'm just making up names here. Every thing is fiction, ok? Don't sue.] crossed it to Carter first-"  
  
"Who would then jog up to the goal, pass back to McMillan-" Eriol added.  
  
"Who should be standing by an open goal by then-" Yamazaki joined in.  
  
"And score." The three of them finished dramatically.  
  
Chiharu blinked. She was at a loss for words.  
  
Sakura was, too, apparently.  
  
Tomoyo cleared her throat, as if to ask an all-important soccer question. "Why," she demanded, "Is that guy wearing black socks?"  
  
Everyone, including the girls, stared back at her. "Huh?"  
  
Tomoyo stared furiously at the screen. "It's unfair! Everyone on his team is wearing boring white knee socks, and he actually has the cheek to wear black socks!?" she screeched.  
  
Eriol raised his eyebrows. "I hadn't noticed."  
  
Tomoyo shrugged. "Actually, he isn't. He's wearing boring white socks like the rest of them. Just thought I should say something. You know, to show that I'm paying attention." She went back to buffing her nails.  
  
Syaoran nodded gravely. He turned to Eriol and said in a very hushed whisper, "You have a very. weird taste in girls."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


End file.
